CHICAGO: Donald Trump falsely suggested to Kamala Harris that the former president misled voters about her race before the National Association of Black Journalists in Chicago on Wednesday in a quick-turning interview.
The former Republican president falsely claimed that Harris, the first black and Asian American woman to serve as vice president, was only promoting her Indian heritage in the past.
“I didn't know he was Black until a few years ago when he happened to be Black and now he wants to be called Black. So, I don't know, is he Indian or Black?” Trump said during the group's annual meeting.
Harris is the daughter of a Jamaican father and an Indian mother, both immigrants to the United States. As a student, Harris attended Howard University, one of the most prestigious black colleges and universities in the country. , where he also pledged the name Alpha Kappa Alpha. . As a US senator, Harris was a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, supporting his colleagues' legislation to strengthen voting rights and police reform.
Trump has heaped criticism on Harris since he replaced President Joe Biden at the top of the Democratic ticket last week. Throughout his political career, the former president has repeatedly raised questions about the ethnic minorities of his opponents.
Michael Tyler, communications director for the Harris campaign, said in a statement that “the hatred that Donald Trump showed on stage today is the same hatred that he has shown all day long.” his life, during his term of office, and during his campaign for the presidency.
“Trump has made personal attacks and insults against black journalists as he has done throughout his administration — when he failed black families and left the entire country digging the hole he left us in,” Tyler said. “Donald Trump has proven that he cannot unite America, so he is trying to divide us.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was asked during a press conference Wednesday about Trump's remarks and she responded in disbelief, initially muttering, “Wow. “
Jean-Pierre, who is black, called what Trump said “disgusting” and said, “It's insulting and nobody has the right to tell anyone who they are.”
Trump has repeatedly attacked his opponents and critics over race. He became famous in Republican politics for spreading the false idea that President Barack Obama, the nation's first black president, was not born in the United States. “Birtherism,” as it is known, is just the beginning of Trump's history of questioning the credentials and credentials of black politicians.
He denied the accusations of racism. And after Biden chose Harris as his running mate four years ago, a Trump campaign spokeswoman pointed to previous Trump political donations to Harris as proof that he is not a racist.
“The president, as a private businessman, has donated to candidates across the aisle,” spokeswoman Katrina Pierson told reporters. “And I will point out that Kamala Harris is a black woman and she donated to her campaign, so I hope we can put this racist debate to rest now,” Pierson said.
During this year's Republican primary, he referred to former United Nations ambassador Nikki Haley, the daughter of Indian immigrants, as “Nimbra.”
Trump's appearance on Wednesday at the annual gathering of black journalists was immediately heated, with the former president sparring with ABC News' Rachel Scott and accused him of giving him a “very sloppy introduction” with the first tough question about his criticism of black people in the past. and black journalists, his attacks on black prosecutors who prosecuted him and his dinner at his Florida club with a white supremacist.
“I think it's a shame,” Trump said. “I came here with a good attitude. I love the black people of this country. I have done so much for black people in this country. “
Trump continued his attack on Scott's network, ABC News, which he said should not host the next presidential debate, despite his previous agreement with the Biden campaign. He has also repeatedly described his tone and questions as “nasty”, a word he has used in the past to describe women, including Hillary Clinton and Meghan Duchess of Sussex.
Republicans also repeated their false claim that immigrants in the country illegally are “taking black jobs.” When Scott was pushed about what a “black job” was, Trump responded by saying “a black job is anyone who has a job,” and groaned from the room.
At one point he said, “I am the best president for the black people since Abraham Lincoln.”
The audience responded with applause and applause.
Scott asked Trump about his promise to pardon those convicted of their role in the riots on January 6, 2021 at the US Capitol and especially if he would pardon those who attacked police officers.
Trump said, “Oh, I really would,” and he said, “If they're innocent, I'll forgive them.”
Scott points out that they are convicted and therefore innocent.
“Yes, they were sentenced to a very harsh system,” he said.
At one point, when he defended his supporters who entered the Capitol on January 6, he said: “Nothing in life is perfect.”
He compared the protests in 2021 to protests in Minneapolis and other cities in 2020 following the death of George Floyd by Minneapolis police and recent protests at the Capitol last week. ago by protesters against the war in Gaza. Trump falsely claimed that no arrests were made at the other protests and that only his supporters were targeted.
When Trump made the comparison, a man in the back of the room shouted, “Sir, aren't you ashamed?”
The former president's invitation to address the organization sparked a heated debate within the NABJ that went viral online. Organizations for journalists of color typically invite presidential candidates to speak at their summer meetings during election years.
As he campaigned for the White House for the third time, Trump sought to appear outside of his traditional base of support and his campaign emphasized their efforts to try to win over black Americans, who are the party of the most popular Democrats.
His campaign emphasized his message on the economy and immigration as part of his appeal, but some of his actions played on racism, including suggesting thought that African-Americans would sympathize with the criminal charges he faced and the promotion of branded sneakers.
Trump and NABJ also have a harsh history of their treatment of black female journalists. In 2018, the NABJ condemned Trump for repeatedly using words like “stupid,” “loser,” and “evil” to describe black female journalists.
The vice president is not scheduled to appear at the convention, but the NABJ said in a statement published in X that it was part of his campaign talks to appear either in person or at the talks. in September.
Trump posted on social media that he was told he could not do the secret operation.
“He refused, and I'm getting ready to go down to Chicago to be there,” Trump wrote. “Now he is said to be doing the event on ZOOM. WHAT HAPPENED HERE?”
Trump hosted a rally in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, last Wednesday where he repeatedly misspelled Harris' name.
Before he took the stage, Trump's team displayed what appeared to be a decades-old newspaper headline describing Harris as the “first Indian-American president” on the big screen at the Square.
